Chapter 157 SAGE

Deep inside I was already panicking, but I can't let him know that. I can't feed his suspicion with my actions.

"Sage, what are they doing here?" he repeated.

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"What's wrong with them being here? They were missing their mom. They're sad, so I offered to comfort them by letting them sleep in my room," I explained.

"You're lying," he said, which makes me hold my breath. "I know when you're lying," he added.

I laugh nervously, masking the fear creeping through my veins. "You always thought I'm lying," I insisted. "I have no reason to lie, Your Majesty."

He narrowed his eyes, taking a slow, deliberate step forward. "Is that so?" he murmured, his tone laced with suspicion. "Should I use our mind link to know the truth?"

I suddenly felt a lump in my throat, and I had a hard time swallowing. Can he really do that through our mind link? Or is he just bluffing?

"Go on, do that," I called his bluff. I was holding my breath while waiting for his next move.

After what seems like forever, he finally broke the silence. "There's no need for that."

I subtly breathe out a sigh of relief upon hearing that.

His gaze drifted toward Harper and Cooper, their small forms nestled deeply in sleep on my bed. He studied them intently before speaking again. "I was suspecting they were yours. But they look to be around six or seven years old, and you've only been gone for three." He turned back to me, his eyes sharp and calculating. "There's no way they could be your children, right?"

I forced my body to remain still, my hands clasped tightly behind me to keep from trembling. "Y-You're right," I said, my voice carefully measured. "There's no way they're my children. I'm just fond of them. That's why I wanted to comfort them while they were missing their mother."

I held my breath, watching his expression for any sign of doubt. But to my relief, I saw his suspicion ease slightly, the tension in his shoulders loosening.

He gave me one last hard look before exhaling slowly, as if dismissing the thought. "Fine," he muttered, "but keep them out of my way."

I subtly let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"I continue this conversation in my room," he said, turning toward the door without waiting for my

response.

Panic flared in my chest. "No," I blurted out, perhaps too quickly. I saw the way his shoulders tensed before he turned his head to look at me, one brow raised in silent challenge.

I cleared my throat, forcing my voice to steady. "I mean... I thought we would be talking in the library?" Titus let out a low chuckle, the sound rich with amusement and something far more dangerous. He then turned around and took a deliberate step forward. He stopped just inches away, his warmth seeping into me despite the space between us. "Are you afraid to be alone with me?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I couldn't deny the truth behind his words. I didn't want to be alone

with him in his room.

It wasn't that I didn't trust him.

I didn't trust myself.

Not when his scent wrapped around me like a drug, not when the heat of his body made my own yearn for things I had no right to want.

I took a careful step back, gathering the remnants of my composure. "Library," I repeated, my tone firmer this time. "If this is a discussion about legal matters, then it's only appropriate we handle it in a proper setting.

Titus studied me, his icy blue eyes darkening with something unreadable. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he smirked.

"As you wish, kitten," he murmured, stepping back at last, though the smirk never left his lips.

Relief should have settled in my chest, but it didn't. Not when he leaned in again, his breath warm against my ear, his voice dropping into a dark, taunting whisper.

"But just so you know..." His fingers lightly grazed my arm, sending an unwelcome shiver down my spine. "There's no place in here that can keep you safe from me. If I wanted to, I could take you in every corner of that library."

A sharp breath hitched in my throat, but I refused to let him see how much his words affected me. My skin tingled from his proximity, my body betraying me in ways I didn't want to acknowledge. Instead, I forced myself to lift my chin, meeting his gaze with a defiance I wasn't entirely sure I could back up.

"I'll take my chances," I shot back, my voice steadier than I felt.noveldrama

Titus chuckled, the sound low and deep, rich with unspoken promises that sent another wave of heat creeping up my neck.

"After you, then," he said smoothly, gesturing toward the door, allowing me to walk past him.

I did, but not before brushing my shoulder against his intentionally, a silent challenge that I wasn't going to crumble so easily. I could feel his eyes on me as I moved, the weight of his gaze burning into my back, but I didn't dare look back.

This was dangerous, being alone with him, playing these games, pretending I had control. Every step I took away from him. should have steadied me, should have reminded me why I needed to keep my distance. And yet, my pulse betrayed me, hammering against my ribs, my skin still tingling from the ghost of his touch.

Because deep down, I knew the truth.

The real danger wasn't him.

It was me.

The way my body still remembered what it was like to be his. The way my skin still burned from the memory of his hands. The way my heart, despite everything, still responded to the sound of his voice.

I hated it. I hated how, even now, my body refused to forget him. How it recognized the way he moved, the way he smelled, the way he could twist me up with nothing more than a whisper.

No matter how much I wanted to deny it, my body knew the truth before my mind was willing to admit it. I was still his.

And that terrified me more than anything.

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